ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — A light rain didn’t keep more than 35 runners from gathering at Lake Shore Park on Saturday morning for the Christmas Wake Up Mile.
The Christmas Wake Up Mile was delayed due to frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall … and runners were thankful it was.
“Seventy five degrees different if you count the windchill,” said Chris Stasny, owner of Stasny Road Racing that put on the event.
Female overall winner Kathleen Pierce was very thankful the race was held off one week.
“This is amazing,” she said. Who would have thought the would have so nice this morning?”
Stasny said he may continue to hold the race on New Year’s Eve because of the attendance.
J.J. Henson, a Jefferson High School alumnus who threw shot put and discus and ran the 400 meters, won the race in a time of 5:42.
Evan Mills finished second in 6:03 and Nate Henson, J.J.’s brother, was third in a time of 6:03.
“The military has been having me do a lot of running,” J.J. Henson said of his longer runs with his unit in Fort Benning, Georgia.
Jlm Swaney, of Kingsville Township, said he was running for the first time since high school. Swaney was a postman in Ashtabula for 40 years, but had a severe injury last spring.
“I broke my back in March so I needed something to do so I started walking [for rehab],” he said. Swaney said he hopes to slowly get faster as the year progresses through continued training and participating in area runs.
Many runners said they are excited about the New Year, and continued fellowship with members of the Ashtabula Distance Runners.
